News

Likely No. 2 behind Brown

Following the release of Jordy Nelson on Thursday, Antonio Brown and Williams are the Raiders' top options at wide receiver, Dalton Johnson of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

Analysis: Mike Mayock is making a splash as a first-time GM, agreeing to terms of a trade for Antonio Brown this past weekend and inking Williams to four-year contract Wednesday. With Brown and Williams in the fold, the Raiders opted to cut ties with Nelson after just one season. Williams has experience complementing a top-tier wide receiver, averaging 42 catches (on 67 targets) for 690.5 yards and 4.5 touchdowns the past two campaigns behind the Chargers' Keenan Allen.

Published: Thu, Mar 14 at 4:14pm by Rotowire.comMore news and analysis available atNFL.com

Reaches deal with Oakland

Williams agreed to a four-year contract with the Raiders on Wednesday, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

Analysis: Williams, who caught 41 passes for 653 yards and five touchdowns with the Chargers last season, joins a revamped Raiders receiving corps that will be led by the recently acquired Antonio Brown. The fantasy prospects of quarterback Derek Carr are starting to look up thanks to the team's notable offseason upgrades.

Published: Wed, Mar 13 at 11:11am by Rotowire.comMore news and analysis available atNFL.com

May find greener pastures

Chargers general manager Tom Telesco admitted he isn't sure if the team will be able to re-sign Williams, who said he views himself as a No. 1 receiver, Eric D. Williams of ESPN.com reports.

Analysis: Williams flashed No. 1 ability in his second professional season, catching 69 of 120 targets for 1,059 yards and seven touchdowns for the injury-depleted 2016 Chargers. He then improved his efficiency in a lower-usage role for healthier teams the past two years, averaging 42 catches for 690.5 yards and 4.5 touchdowns on 67 targets. Boasting the physical specs of a No. 1 receiver along with a career mark of 9.7 yards per target, Williams makes for an interesting case in free agency and probably…read more

Published: Wed, Jan 30 at 10:03am by Rotowire.comMore news and analysis available atNFL.com

Plays well in playoff loss

Williams caught five of seven targets for 94 yards in Sunday's 41-28 divisional-round loss to the Patriots.

Analysis: Williams led the Chargers in receiving yards while tying Antonio Gates and Mike Williams for the team lead in catches, but that fact is little consolation given that his team's Super Bowl hopes were unceremoniously dashed in a game that wasn't nearly as close as the final score indicates -- New England led 35-7 at halftime. The 26-year-old wide receiver will try to use this productive outing to gain a bigger contract as an unrestricted free agent this offseason.

Published: Sun, Jan 13 at 2:40pm by Rotowire.comMore news and analysis available atNFL.com

Concludes disappointing 2018 season

Williams finished the regular season with 41 receptions for 653 receiving yards and five touchdowns on 65 targets across 16 games.

Analysis: While he'll still have a chance to raise his production in the postseason, it's fair to suggest Williams' 2018 numbers were more than disappointing for a full-time starter. Keenan Allen, Melvin Gordon, Austin Ekeler and Mike Williams accounted for the vast majority of the team's target share, relegating Tyrell Williams to no better than fifth in the pass-catching pecking order. It would probably be an even more pedestrian statistical season for Williams if not for a two-week stretch in which he…read more

Published: Wed, Jan 2 at 12:35pm by Rotowire.comMore news and analysis available atNFL.com

Quiet effort in Week 16 loss

Williams caught one of his two targets for 12 yards in Saturday's 22-10 loss to the Ravens.

Analysis: Williams was on the field for 58 of the Chargers' 63 snaps on offense in Week 16, but was unable to muster much production, which has been the norm for him of late, with a six-catch, 71-yard effort Week 15 being his most recent outlier on that front. He profiles as a hit-or-miss fantasy option in the Chargers' regular-season finale this coming Sunday against the Broncos.

Published: Mon, Dec 24 at 10:03am by Rotowire.comMore news and analysis available atNFL.com

Records season high in catches

Williams caught six of his 12 targets for 71 yards in the 29-28 win over the Chiefs on Thursday.

Analysis: Williams was forced into the No. 2 role behind Mike Williams after Keenan Allen went down with a hip injury in the second quarter, and the 26-year-old promptly record his most catches and third-most receiving yards of the 2018 campaign. It's unclear how serious Allen's injury may be, but should the star receiver be forced to miss any time, Williams immediately becomes a viable fantasy option in nearly all formats, even with a difficult matchup against the Ravens defense on tap next Saturday.

Published: Thu, Dec 13 at 9:17pm by Rotowire.comMore news and analysis available atNFL.com

Held in check once again

Williams caught all three of his targets for 14 yards in the 26-21 win over the Bengals on Sunday.

Analysis: At this point, it's clear that Williams' run through Week 6 and 7, where he totaled 236 receiving yards and three touchdowns, was just an aberration. From Week 9 through Week 14, the fourth-year receiver has caught just 11 passes for 119 yards and one touchdown, remaining at best a longshot to post even adequate fantasy numbers.

Published: Tue, Dec 11 at 6:23am by Rotowire.comMore news and analysis available atNFL.com

Non-factor in win

Williams (quadriceps) caught one of his two targets for 14 yards in Sunday's 33-30 win over the Steelers.

Analysis: Williams played in 50 snaps Sunday, so it's clear the quadriceps injury that essentially forced him to miss last week's contest against the Cardinals is no longer an issue. The 26-year-old has seen his fantasy value fluctuate throughout the season, but next week's matchup against the 31st-ranked Bengals' pass defense could wind up being a lucrative one for Williams and the rest of the Chargers' offense.

Published: Mon, Dec 3 at 12:35pm by Rotowire.comMore news and analysis available atNFL.com

Suits up Sunday night

Williams (quadriceps) is listed as active for Sunday's game against the Steelers.

Analysis: Williams will give it a go Sunday night after logging a season-low nine snaps in Week 12, en route to going without a target. We'll have to see if he's up for much more work versus Pittsburgh, but Williams is a risky fantasy roll until he gets a full and productive game in.

Published: Sun, Dec 2 at 4:01pm by Rotowire.comMore news and analysis available atNFL.com

Labeled questionable for Week 13

Williams (quadriceps) is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Steelers, Eric D. Williams of ESPN.com reports.

Analysis: Williams will carry an injury designation into gameday for the second week in a row after the lingering quad injury limited his involvement in practices Wednesday through Friday. Though the questionable tag didn't prevent Williams from suiting up in last week's win over the Cardinals, he played a season-low nine snaps in the contest and wasn't targeted. Similar restrictions could be in place for Williams again this weekend even if he's active, making him a dicey option in fantasy lineups.

Published: Fri, Nov 30 at 12:35pm by Rotowire.comMore news and analysis available atNFL.com

Limited at practice again

Williams (quadriceps) was a limited participant in Thursday's practice.

Analysis: After playing only nine snaps in the Chargers' Week 12 win over the Cardinals and having yet to resume practicing fully, it's clear the quad injury is still somewhat of a worry for the wideout. Unless Williams is able to advance to full participation Friday in the team's final practice session of the week, he'll likely be listed as questionable ahead of Sunday's matchup with the Steelers. Even if he's ultimately cleared to suit up, Williams might be at risk of losing work to the likes of Mike…read more

Published: Thu, Nov 29 at 2:32pm by Rotowire.comMore news and analysis available atNFL.com

Logs limited practice

Williams (quadriceps) was limited at practice Wednesday.

Analysis: Wiliams logged just nine snaps and zero targets in the Chargers' Week 12 win over the Cardinals, but there's a decent chance that he'll be up for more work Sunday against the Steelers. It remains to be seen, however, if he ends up listed as questionable for that contest or is removed from the Chargers' injury report altogether come Friday.

Published: Wed, Nov 28 at 2:47pm by Rotowire.comMore news and analysis available atNFL.com

Does not record a catch

Williams (quadriceps) did not record a catch during Sunday's win over the Cardinals.

Analysis: Williams clearly wasn't entirely healthy despite being active Sunday, as the fourth-year receiver played just nine snaps. Getting what amounted to a week of rest should help Williams, though his fantasy prospects remain limited with Keenan Allen, Austin Ekeler and Mike Williams seeing the majority of the looks as of late.

Published: Tue, Nov 27 at 10:35am by Rotowire.comMore news and analysis available atNFL.com

Suiting up vs. Cardinals

Analysis: Williams has yet to miss a game this season, but his status for this one was in question after failing to take the practice field Wednesday and registering limited sessions the next two days. He'll now be cleared to take the field against a tough Arizona secondary that ranks in the league's top 10 in fantasy points per game allowed to opposing receivers.

Published: Sun, Nov 25 at 11:52am by Rotowire.comMore news and analysis available atNFL.com

Game-time call for Week 12

Williams (quadriceps), who is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Cardinals, will test his injury during pregame activities before a decision on his status is made, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

Analysis: Williams will need to demonstrate he can move at full speed in his pregame workout, otherwise he'll sit out Week 12. With the Chargers and Cardinals not kicking off until 4:05 p.m. EST, there's some risk in fantasy managers waiting on Williams' status if other options exist for the early wave of games. From the Chargers' standpoint, Mike Williams and Travis Benjamin would be ready to handle larger roles if Tyrell Williams can't go.

Published: Sat, Nov 24 at 9:06pm by Rotowire.comMore news and analysis available atNFL.com

Questionable for Week 12

Williams (quad) is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Cardinals.

Analysis: Williams missed practice Wednesday, but was able to subsequently log back-to-back limited sessions. Official confirmation of his Week 12 status will arrive as Sunday's 4:05 ET kickoff approaches, but if he does play this weekend, Williams profiles as a decent fantasy option, while operating in the context of the Chargers offense. He's logged six targets in each of his last two games and prior to that he strung together four TDs over his previous three contests.

Published: Fri, Nov 23 at 1:15pm by Rotowire.comMore news and analysis available atNFL.com

Returns to limited practice

Williams (quad) returned to a limited practice Thursday.

Analysis: Williams didn't practice Wednesday, so the wideout's return to the field Thursday bodes well for his chances of suiting up Sunday against the Cardinals. We'll revisit his status Friday to see if he ends up carrying any Week 12 injury designation, or is cleared to play this weekend.

Published: Thu, Nov 22 at 1:57pm by Rotowire.comMore news and analysis available atNFL.com

Doesn't practice Wednesday

Williams did n't practice Wednesday due to a quadriceps injury.

Analysis: Williams was limited to just two catches for 22 yards in the Chargers' loss to the Broncos this past Sunday, but it wasn't believed that he sustained an injury during that contest. His appearance on the Week 12 injury report suggests otherwise, but the fact that Williams was at least able to participate Wednesday in a limited fashion suggests he'll likely be good to go this weekend against Arizona.

Published: Wed, Nov 21 at 2:53pm by Rotowire.comMore news and analysis available atNFL.com

Limited to two receptions

Williams nabbed two of six targets for 22 yards in Sunday's 23-22 loss to the Broncos.

Analysis: Williams' fantasy value was on the rise after he turned in back-to-back 118-yard outings in Week 6 and 7 while reaching the end zone three times in total, but he's been a major disappointment since the Chargers' Week 8 bye. He's posted just eight catches for 91 yards over the subsequent three games, with a touchdown grab in the Week 9 win over the Seahawks representing the only saving grace during that stretch. With Keenan Allen representing the only consistent highly targeted option on a…read more

Published: Mon, Nov 19 at 9:23am by Rotowire.comMore news and analysis available atNFL.com

Makes four catches in win

Williams caught four of six passing attempts for 46 yards in Sunday's 20-6 win over the Raiders.

Analysis: Williams was unable to find the end zone in his fourth consecutive game but was still the second most involved wide receiver after Keenan Allen, though Melvin Gordon also saw six targets. The 26-year-old has only seen three targets in the red zone all season and therefore continues to depend on the big play to produce fantasy value. He'll try to break another at home Week 11 against Denver.

Published: Sun, Nov 11 at 5:48pm by Rotowire.comMore news and analysis available atNFL.com

Tallies another touchdown

Williams caught two of his three targets for 23 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 25-17 win over the Seahawks.

Analysis: After a dismal start to the season in which Williams caught 10 passes for 126 yards across the first four weeks of the season, the fourth-year wide receiver has tallied 12 catches for 325 yards to go along with four touchdowns in the subsequent four weeks. Much of that has production has come from big plays, but it's worth noting Williams has caught at least two passes in every game so he's at least somewhat involved in the offensive plans on a week-to-week basis. Williams and the Chargers will…read more

Published: Sun, Nov 4 at 7:22pm by Rotowire.comMore news and analysis available atNFL.com